Murder trial collapses after pensioner falls ill

The jury trying a pensioner accused of raping and murdering a schoolgirl 47 years ago was discharged after he was taken ill.

Dennis McGrory, now 74, allegedly stabbed and strangled Jacqueline Montgomery, 15, in a rage because she was the niece of his cheating partner.

The teenager’s body was found by at her Islington home by her father on 2 June 1975. She had been stabbed repeatedly and strangled with the iron flex.

Jurors heard McGrory escaped justice for almost half a century until a cold case review matched his DNA to the victim’s body.

He was trying to find ex-partner Josie Montgomery, who had been having an affair with his friend John Malloy, it was said.

Scientific analysis showed McGrory is between 33,000 times and one billion times more likely to have contributed to DNA samples from the victim’s vaginal swabs, the court had heard.

Mr Justice Bryan discharged the jury and explained McGrory was admitted to hospital over a week ago and is still undergoing medical treatment.

McGrory, of Milton Keynes, Bucks, denies murder and rape.

The Scot remains on unconditional bail ahead of his retrial on a date to be fixed.